In director Robert Altman's famed low-budget Hollywood
satire with a tapestry of characters:

the subtle opening and closing shots that revealed
the underlying joke of the premise -- the movie was a 'film-within-a-film'
about how the film came to be (the erroneous murder and cover-up
of a disgruntled screenwriter by callous, insincere, back-stabbing,
shallow film producer Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins))

the uncut, unedited, single-take opening credits sequence
- a remarkably complex, 8-minute and six second roaming and tracking
camera on a Hollywood studio lot that captured glimpses of pitch
meetings and overheard bits of conversations (one pair of producers
ironically and referentially commented on Orson Welles' Touch
of Evil (1958) and its famed opening uncut tracking shot)

the huge cast of celebrities and filmmakers who played
themselves (except for Whoopi Goldberg who played Beverly Hills police
chief Susan Avery ("Oh, please! This is Pasadena. We do not
arrest the wrong person. That's L.A.!"))

the ridiculous 25 words or less cross-breeded film
pitches that Mill heard - like for the sequel The Graduate Part
II ("Mrs. Robinson has a stroke...dark and weird and funny")
or other films described as 'Out of Africa meets Pretty
Woman' (for Goldie Hawn) or 'Ghost meets The Manchurian
Candidate' (for Bruce Willis)

the hot tub scene of Griffin with story editor/girlfriend
Bonnie Sherow (Cynthia Stevenson) - that set up the premise of the
film about the receipt of threatening postcards and the amount of
time "before he becomes dangerous"
- 5 months

the scene the morning after the writer's murder in
the studio office in which ambitious new employee Larry Levy (Peter
Gallagher) proposed finding storylines from the morning's paper instead
of hiring scripters, with Mills' response: ("I was just thinking
what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the writer from the
artistic process")

the film's ending with Griffin driving while hearing
a pitch by a mysterious psychotic writer of a movie called The
Player - about the movie just seen ("It's a Hollywood ending,
Griff. He marries the dead writer's girl (Greta Scacchi) and they
live happily ever after") - with a mocking of the audience with
a subtle and faintly-heard: "Nyah, nyah, nyah-NYAH-nyah" sung
by an infant in the score

Point Blank (1967)

In John Boorman's brutal crime classic neo-noir based
on the pulp crime novel The Hunter by Donald E. Westlake (under
the name Richard Stark):

virtuoso, artsy, avant-garde editing techniques
(i.e., flashbacks, time lapses, dream motifs, etc), such as Walker's
(Lee Marvin) shooting (and dying dream?) in an Alcatraz cell before
the opening credits -- and his return visit a few years later by
ferry

the scene of Walker's loud stride along a corridor
- cross-cut with a view of his wife Lynne (Sharon Acker) in bed and
then dressing before visiting a beauty salon parlor - and then his
violent and vengeful shoot-up of his double-crossing wife's empty
bed (just in case her lover was in it) - defiled after she ran off
with his double-crossing ex-partner Mal Reese (John Vernon)

Lynne's later suicidal drug overdose

Walker's wild driving and crashing of a new car under
LA freeway ramps in order to intimidate and get car salesman Stegman
(Michael Strong) to talk ("Where do I find Reese?")

Walker's backstage fight in a nightclub against two
thugs with a swirling psychedelic backdrop of images behind them

the scene of Lynne's sister Chris (Angie Dickinson),
Walker's sister-in-law, agreeing to help Walker get to Reese and driving
him by the Huntley House hotel in Santa Monica, and pointing out
how difficult it would be to enter Reese's penthouse: ("Men everywhere.
You're gonna have a lot of trouble getting in, but you'll never get
out")

Chris naked and hastily dressing
in the background during Walker's lethal confrontation with Reese
- he held a gun on Reese in the foreground and demanded: "I
want my 93 grand now"; the naked, blanket-wrapped
Reese was flung over a balcony railing and plunged
to his death on the street below

the scene of Chris' energetic but futile slapping,
throttling (with her handbag), and pounding of her fists into Walker
to make him feel something - until she collapsed to the floor

Point Break (1991)

In director Kathryn Bigelow's action cult film:

the skydiving scene (nominated as the "Best
Action Sequence" in the 1992 MTV Movie Awards, and ranked
7th in Empire Magazine's Top 10 Crazy Action Sequences)
in which both surfer-bankrobber Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) and undercover
FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) jumped with only one
parachute (Bodhi's) and they exchanged taunts about pulling the
ripcord

finally, after Bodhi told Johnny that they would be "meat
waffles" in about five seconds at an altitude of 1,000 feet,
Johnny dropped his gun and pulled Bodhi's ripcord handle to save
the two of them

Police Academy (1984)

In director Hugh Wilson's hit police-related comedy:

the embarrassing scene of Lieutenant Thaddeus Harris
(G.W. Bailey) riding a tricked out motorcycle, and being propelled
into the back end of a horse (off-screen)

the scene of a driving lesson, given by recruit Cadet
Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg) for Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith)
before the next day's driving test exam - late at night, the two
stole Cadet Chad Copeland's (Scott Thomson) compact car and ripped
out the front seats (to sit in the back), immediately rear-ended
another vehicle (Mahoney: "You didn't hit the brake" Hightower: "You
didn't tell me to"), and then became involved in a chase with
a police cruiser - bringing the car back wrecked

the scene of defensive training when female blonde
Sgt. Debbie Callahan (Leslie Easterbrook) floored one of the recruits
and sat on his neck with her thighs, and then asked for the next
volunteer: "Who's next?" - and all the other recruits raised
their hands

the infamous podium fellatio scene - in which Cmndt.
Eric Lassard (George Gaynes) delivered a speech to VIP dignitaries,
while a hooker (appropriately cast porn star Georgina Spelvin) and
cadet Mahoney hid inside the podium - during the speech ("I
think you'll find the presentation interesting as well as very stimulating!" -
followed by the sound of his zipper being unzipped), Lassard showed
facial signs of being pleasured, with contortions, distorted speech,
groans and moans: ("Now, this first SLIIIDE shows a very, very
interesting thing: our main building. In slide TWO! We see another
view of IT! Oh, my God, you wouldn't believe it!"), and when
he finished the delivery, he summarized:
"Well, I hope this was as much fun for you as it was for me";
as he walked away from the podium, Lassard saw Mahoney, not the
hooker, emerge from beneath the podium: (Mahoney: (smiling and delivering
the deadpan line) "Good speech")

the scare-moment of the frightening, evil-grinning
clown doll vanishing from its customary chair, grabbing owner Robbie
(Oliver Robbins), pulling him under the bed and attempting to strangle
him

all the attempts at exorcism and house-cleansing by
short-statured clairvoyant Tangina (Zelda Rubinstein)

the terrifying climax of muddy, unearthed corpses

Porco Rosso (1992, Fr./Jp.)
(aka The Crimson Pig, or Kurenai No Buta)

In famed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's film:

the adult fable of a dashing seaplane pilot, Porco
Rosso (meaning "Red Pig"), who had been cursed with the
head of a pig

Porco's astounding mystical tale to young Fio about
how he became cursed - told in flashback: after a fierce air battle,
he found himself in an aerial limbo, floating on a sea of cloud that
stretched for an eternity, with pure blue sky above, broken only
by a white band that turned out to be thousands of planes manned
by dead pilots (reminiscent of A Guy Named Joe (1943) and A
Matter of Life and Death/Stairway to Heaven (1946))

the infamous scene of turned-on gym teacher Ms. Honeywell
(Kim Cattrall) (nicknamed "Lassie") revealing the reason
for her nickname --when her skirt was pulled off and she was in the
midst of love-making with one of the male coaches, she let out a
loud, shrill dog-howl

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

In this classic Irwin Allen disaster epic (with an
Oscar-winning song
"The Morning After" and a special Oscar for Visual Effects):

the scene of the immense tidal wave (caused by
a submarine-induced earthquake) hitting the Poseidon

the incredible special effects shots of the capsized
luxury cruise ship turned upside down with passengers dangling and
a man falling up/down from a table through a large window

the scene of using a giant Christmas Tree to climb
up and out of the ship's grand ballroom

the water-rescue scene when Jewish passenger Mrs.
Belle Rosen (Oscar-nominated Shelley Winters) saved Rev. Frank Scott
(Gene Hackman) from drowning, and gasped: "You see, Mr. Scott,
in the water, I'm a very skinny lady," and then died of a heart
attack after admitting: ("I guess I'm not the champion of the
Women's Swimming Association anymore")

the scene of detective cop husband Mike Rugo's (Ernest
Borgnine) reaction to his ex-prostitute wife Linda's (Stella Stevens)
death -- angrily venting his rage at Frank and sobbing: ("You!
Preacher! YOU LYIN', MURDERIN', SON-OF-A-BITCH! You almost suckered
me in! I started to believe in your promises! That we had a chance!")

Frank's sacrificial death (he closed the steam vent
while yelling: "Keep going! Rogo! Get them through!" and
then fell into the flaming wreckage himself)

the triumpant ending in which the five survivors
banged on the thin hull to attract rescuers

Mike's changed opinion of Preacher Frank:
"The preacher was right! That beautiful son-of-a-bitch was right!"

the changing relationship over a week between Hollywood
street-hooker Vivian Ward (Oscar-nominated Julia Roberts) and wealthy
corporate raider Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) after starting out
as client-customer date ("We both screw people for money"
and "I appreciate this whole seduction thing you've got going
on here, but let me give you a tip: I'm a sure thing")

the scene of Vivian's extravagant shopping spree
in boutiques on Rodeo Drive

the bathtub scene

her ultimate rescue by her gallant Prince Charming
in the film's conclusion with a white stretch limousine, a dozen
red roses, his fire-escape climb to her balcony, and his profession
of love - with a kiss (Edward: "So,
what happened after he climbed up the tower and rescued her?" Vivian:
"She rescues him right back")

The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

In director Sam Wood's popular biographical baseball
sports movie:

the famous heart-tugging, July 4, 1939 farewell
scene of famed # 4 ball player Lou Gehrig (Gary Cooper), afflicted
with the uncurable disease of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
in his mid-30s, first accompanied by his supportive and tearful
wife Eleanor (Teresa Wright) in the dark tunnel leading to the
infield

his sad farewell to his fans and teammates and the
delivery of his speech at a microphone at home plate as it echoed
throughout Yankee Stadium with 62,000 in attendance: ("...People
all say that I've had a bad break. But today -- today I consider
myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth")

The Princess Bride (1987)

In Rob Reiner's romantic fantasy comedy based on screenwriter
William Goldman's novel:

the film's sly parody of the subgenre of fantasy-adventure
films

the scenes of the Grandfather (Peter Falk) telling
sick and bedridden 10 year old Grandson (Fred Savage) about the story
(from the S. Morgenstern novel The Princess Bride) of the
heroic noble knight (farm boy Westley played by Cary Elwes) saving
his beautiful fair-haired princess-lover Buttercup (Robin Wright
Penn) from evil fiancee Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon)

the storyteller's regaling about the swashbuckling,
chatty cliff-top duel between caricatured drunken Spanish master
swordsman Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) and the mysterious masked
Man in Black named Dread Pirate Roberts (Cary Elwes - Westley in
disguise) - with clever-thinking Inigo's switch of his sword from
his left hand to his better right hand: ("I am not left-handed")
and the Man in Black's reply: "I'm not left-handed either..."

the wine-poisoning "battle-of-wits" death
scene in which brilliant Sicilian kidnapper and self-described 'genius'
Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) was given a choice between drinking from
two wine goblets by black-masked and garbed Westley/Dread Pirate
Robert (Cary Elwes) -- one of which contained an odorless but deadly
iocaine powder - in a contest to decide the fate of kidnapped Princess
Bride/Buttercup; although Vizzini cleverly switched the goblets,
thinking he could fool Westley when his back was turned, it was in
vain, however, since the black-garbed man dosed both drinks (he was
immune to the killer powder); while Vizzini laughed about his cleverness
and explained: "You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's
so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You
fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders!" - he
fell over dead in the middle of a boisterous laugh

the fairytale ending with a successful rescue and
romantic kiss, described by the Grandfather as: ("Since the
invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses that were rated
the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind
-- THE END")

the Grandson's bedtime request to have the story
read again the next day - and the Grandfather's reply:
"As you wish"

The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

In director John Cromwell's and David O. Selznick's
classic production of Anthony Hope's swashbuckling adventure:

the romantic pairing of Rudolph/King Rudolf (Ronald
Colman) and Princess Flavia (Madeleine Carroll), especially in
their garden scene together

Best Actress-nominated Goldie Hawn as pampered,
naive socialite Judy Benjamin, who randomly joined the Army after
her husband Yale (Albert Brooks) died in bed on her wedding night

her hysterically-clueless complaints to her harsh,
strict commanding officer Capt. Doreen Lewis (Oscar-nominated Eileen
Brennan): ("See, I did join the Army, but I joined a different Army.
I joined the one with the condos and the private rooms...To be truthful
with you, I can't sleep in a room with 20 strangers...And I mean
look at this place. The army couldn't afford drapes? I'll be up at
the crack of dawn here!")

Lewis' response to Pvt. Benjamin's complaints about
the dirty bathroom -- forcing her to scrub them with only
her electric tooth-brush

the practical joke revenge against Lewis - blue dye
in the shower nozzle, forcing her to wear clown-white makeup during
the enlisted soldier graduation

Benjamin's single-handed capture of the entire Red
team in an Army training exercise

her rebuffing of a General's sexual advances

her marriage over the Army's objections to French
artist Henri Alan Tremont (Armand Assante in his first major film
role)

the famous closing long shot of Pvt. Benjamin walking
away from the altar in her wedding dress when she discovered Henri's
male chauvinism and unfaithfulness with his ex-lover